A Rossiya Airlines Sukhoi Superjet 100 was involved in a ground collision with a Hainan Airlines Airbus A330-300 at Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) yesterday evening. The two aircraft were respectively bound for St Petersburg and Beijing, with their collision limiting taxiway traffic.
Passengers on the Rossiya flight were able to reach their planned destination, albeit with a multi-hour delay, after the carrier was able to source a replacement aircraft to operate the Russian domestic service. Meanwhile, the Chinese widebody reportedly had to be grounded and inspected as a result of its involvement in the collision, which reportedly damaged the Superjet’s tail. Let’s see how the incident unfolded.
What Happened?
Yesterday evening, according to reports from publications such as Reuters and AeroTime, a Rossiya Sukhoi Superjet 100 and a Hainan Airlines Airbus A330-300 were involved in a ground collision in Moscow. The jets, which respectively bear the registrations RA-89112 and B-1098 according to the Aviation Safety Network, are said to have come together at around 20:30 local time at Sheremetyevo Airport.
At the time of the incident, the Rossiya jet was reportedly preparing to depart on a domestic service from Moscow to Pulkovo Airport (LED) in Saint Petersburg, while the Hainan Airlines plane was bound for Beijing Capital Airport (PEK) in China. The collision damaged the former aircraft’s tail, with Live Journal subsequently reporting that the following statement was offered by a spokesperson for Rossiya Airlines:
“While maneuvering, another airline’s aircraft touched the rudder of our SSJ-100. Passengers on flight FV6097 were transferred to a reserve aircraft and safely transported to Saint Petersburg.”
Delays & Disruption
The tail damage to the Rossiya Airlines Sukhoi Superjet is said to have been enough to tear its rudder off on the taxiway, while it was the wing that bore the brunt as far as the Hainan Airlines Airbus A330-300 that was involved in the collision was concerned. The former aircraft had a grand total of 89 people onboard, while the latter’s occupancy was 264. Taxi operations were briefly limited as a result.
However, a spokesperson for Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport was quick to communicate the fact that “the situation did not impact flight safety and was contained by emergency services,” who arrived at the scene but were not required to provide any assistance. On a similar note, Rosaviatsia spokesperson Artem Korenyako confirmed that “there were no risks to passengers” onboard the two aircraft.
|
The Aircraft Involved (Per The Aviation Safety Network) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Registration |
Model |
Airline |
Country |
|
RA-89112 |
Sukhoi Superjet 100 |
Rossiya |
Russia |
|
B-1098 |
Airbus A330-300 |
Hainan Airlines |
China |
However, while there were no reported injuries to any of the occupants of the pair of planes involved in the collision, the incident did have operational implications. Indeed, Live Journal notes that, according to certain reports, Hainan Airlines’ passengers had to spend the night in Moscow awaiting a reserve aircraft. The delay was less severe for Rossiya, with a replacement Superjet leaving three hours late.
The Incident Is Set To Be Reviewed
Reporting by Live Journal suggests that the incident will be the subject of an investigation. Indeed, it quotes Rosaviatsia spokesperson Artem Korenyako as saying that “a thorough review of all circumstances, including the actions of the crews and the work of air traffic control services,” will need to be carried out. As part of this, “compliance with flight safety regulations and passenger rights will be assessed.”
According to tracking data made available by Flightradar24, the inbound flight for the Hainan Airlines Airbus A330-300 that bears the registration B-1098 marked its first trip to Moscow in over two weeks, with the jet having last flown there on September 9. Meanwhile, the Russian domestic corridor from Sheremetyevo International Airport to Saint Petersburg is commonly served by Rossiya’s RA-89112.
While not necessarily the fault of the crew of the Russian aircraft, yesterday’s collision marks the latest in a series of incidents that have undermined the safety credentials of the Superjet in recent times. Indeed, last December saw three incidents in a week, and fuselage defects have also been found.